CONSTITUTION
Of
Hope Bible Fellowship
Dixon, Illinois
ARTICLE I. THE NAME
The name of the church shall be: Hope Bible Fellowship.
ARTICLE II. PURPOSE
The purpose of this church shall be to glorify God: by the preaching of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ both locally and throughout the world, by reaching a culturally depraved
world through the promoting of Christ’s love in a way that is relevant to the community
and it’s needs, by teaching and instilling Biblical truths in the hearts and minds of the
saints in this local body. It will be exclusively charitable, educational and religious
within the legal guidelines of a non-profit organization.
ARTICLE III. CHURCH COVENANT
Having been led as we believe by the Spirit of God to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord
and Savior and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God and this
assembly most sincerely and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in
Christ.
By the leading of the Holy Spirit: we walk together in Christian love; we endeavor to
advance this church in knowledge and holiness; we promote the ordinances, doctrines,
and discipline laid out in this constitution and the bylaws. We agree to contribute
cheerfully and regularly: to the support of the ministries and expenses of the church, to
benevolence for the poor, and to the spreading of the Gospel.
We, as followers of Christ, believe a marriage consists of one man and one woman bound
together by God in a relationship unto death. It is our hope and goal: to strengthen
individuals and families through daily devotions and Christian instruction; to seek the
salvation of our loved ones; to walk worthy in the world; to be honest in our
transactions, faithful to our commitments, and commendable in our behaviors. We also
agree to guard one another in brotherly love, to remember one another in prayer, to help a
brother in sickness and distress, to be Christ-like in our speech, and to be slow to anger
but always ready for reconciliation.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we acknowledge that all sin is an abomination to God. It is
our intention as a body of believers to avoid all gossip, pornography, drunkenness, and
addiction to any drink, drug, or behavior unsightly in God’s eyes. Therefore, we must
strive to avoid anything that dishonors God.
ARTICLE IV. STATEMENT OF FAITH
1. THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Holy Bible was written inerrant in its original languages and is still
wholly true today. It is authored by men divinely inspired by God Himself, shows
salvation for its end, and reveals the principles by which God will judge us. Therefore, it
shall remain to the end of the age the true center of Christian union and the supreme
standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.
II Timothy 3:16-17
Philippians 3:16
I Peter 1:10-12
Proverbs 30:5-6
2. THE TRUE GOD
We believe that there is one, and only one, true and living God, an infinite, intelligent,
perfect spirit and personal being, the Creator, Preserver, and Supreme Ruler of the
Universe, inexpressibly glorious in holiness and all other perfections, and worthy of all
possible honor, confidence and love; we believe in the unity of the Godhead there are
three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all equal in every divine
perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
John 14:7
John 14:11
3. CREATION
We believe that before time began, the God of the Bible created the heavens and the
earth, everything visible and invisible, and that He created man in His likeness, according
to scriptures. We also believe that He created everything in six literal days, “so the
evening and the morning were” each one day. God’s original creation was created
perfect and without corruption; and without Him, nothing was made that was made.
Genesis 1:1-2:25
Colossians 1:13-17
John 1:1-3
Romans 8:19-22
4. THE FALL OF MAN
We believe that man was created under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary
transgression fell from that holy and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind
are now sinners, not by constraint but by choice, being by nature utterly void of that
holiness required by the law of God, necessarily inclined to do evil, and therefore is
under just condemnation of eternal ruin without defense of excuse.
Genesis 1:27
Ezekiel 18:19-20
Genesis 1:31
Romans 1:20
Genesis 3:6-24
Romans 5:19
Isaiah 53:6
5. THE WAY OF SALVATION
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the intercessory
position of the Son of God, who by appointment by the Father, freely took upon Himself
our nature; that being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, yet
without sin, He honored the divine law by His personal obedience and by His death made
a full atonement for our sin; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in
Heaven and that He is in every way qualified to be the only suitable, compassionate, and
all-sufficient Savior, the only way to eternal life.
Ephesians 2:8
Colossians 2:9
John 3:16
Hebrews 2:18
Isaiah 53:4-5
Hebrews 7:25
6. FREE WILL
We believe that the offer of salvation is made free to all by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Nothing prevents the salvation of even the greatest sinner on earth except his own
inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the Gospel of which results in eternal
separation from God. We believe that everyone has the free will to accept eternal life in
Jesus Christ and that any other choice is a rejection of the Gospel.
Isaiah 55:1
Romans 16:25-26
John 5:40
John 3:19
Ephesians 4:18
7. REGENERATION
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that regeneration
consists in giving a holy disposition to the mind; that it is affected in a manner above all
understanding by the power of the Holy Spirit, in connection with divine truth, so as to
secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel, and that regeneration is evident in the holy
fruits of repentance, faith and newness of life.
John 3:3
II Corinthians 5:17
Galatians 5:16-23
Ephesians 5:9
John 3:8
8. JUSTIFICATION
We believe that the great Gospel blessing, which Christ secures to such as believe in
Him, is justification; that justification includes the pardon of sin, removal of guilt, and
the promise of eternal life; that it is given not in consideration of any works of
righteousness which we have done, but only through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, by
virtue of which faith that His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us by God; that
justification brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God and secures
every other blessing needful for time and eternity.
John 1: 16
Acts 13:39
Romans 5:9
Romans 4:4-5
Romans 5:1-2
9. SANCTIFICATION
We believe that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God,
believers share in His holiness; that it is an ongoing process beginning at salvation; and
that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy
Spirit, a process strengthened by the continual use of God‘s Word, self-examination, selfdenial, watchfulness and prayer.
I Thessalonians 4:3
I John 2:29
Romans 8:5
Philippians 2:12-13
10. THE PERSEVERANCE OF SAINTS
We believe that only genuine believers endure unto the end; that their enduring
relationship to Christ is the evidence that distinguishes the saints from superficial
professors; and that they are kept by the providence and power of God through faith unto
salvation.
John 3:31
I John 2:19
Romans 8:28
Philippians 1:6
11. THE PRESERVATION OF SAINTS
We believe that the security of the believer is sure. The believer has been indwelt by God
Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit; that the believer has been sealed unto the day of
redemption; that the Father’s purpose is to keep us in spite of everything and nothing can
pluck us out of His hands; that God therefore sees the believer as predestinated, justified,
and righteous and thus his eternal destiny is secure.
John 10:28-30
Ephesians 4:30
Romans 8:29-30
I John 5:13
I Corinthians 6:19
John 13:1
12. THE GOSPEL CHURCH
We believe that the visible church of Christ is a body of professing believers, connected
by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. The church is commanded to observe the ordinances, be
governed by His laws, and exercise the gifts of the Holy Spirit; that its true mission is
found in the Great Commission and that for it to exhibit the success of the church in Acts
1, the people must be in “one accord”, dependent upon the power of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 18:17
Acts 2:41-42
I Corinthians 1:1-13
Acts 2:46
I Corinthians 11:2
Matthew 28:20
13. ORDINANCES
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, in the name of
the Father, and Son and Holy Spirit, to show a sincere and beautiful picture of our faith in
the crucified, buried and risen Savior with its effect as dying to sin and resurrected to a
new life.
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a time during which the believers of a Gospel
church commemorate together the dying love of Christ. We also believe it is a taking of
the bread and cup which represents the body and blood of Christ, and should always be
preceded with self-examination.
Acts 8:36-39
I Corinthians 11:26
John 3:22-23
Romans 6:4
Matthew 28:19
Acts 2:41-42
14. THE LORD’S DAY
We believe that Sunday is the first day of the week and because we desire to give God
our firsts, we choose to make Sunday the Lord’s Day, and it is to be set apart to assemble
for worship of our Savior. Believers are to regularly gather themselves together for the
worship of God and for fellowship, and that on this day we are not to forsake the
assembling of ourselves.
Acts 20:7
Psalm 118:24
Hebrews 4:3-11
Hebrews 10:25
15. CIVIL GOVERNMENT
We believe civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of
human society; that government leaders are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored
and obeyed; that this is to be followed until such government attempts to cause believers
to violate God’s law; in any such situation, we must obey God rather than man.
Romans 13:1-7
Matthew 22:21
Acts 5:29
Matthew 23:10
16. MARRIAGE
We believe a marriage is first and foremost, an institution founded by God, requiring a
lifelong commitment by its parties. We believe that marriage is Biblically defined as one
man and one woman in covenant with each other and God, united under the authority of
God, and authorized by God. We also believe marriage to be a social union locally
recognized by a civil government.
I Corinthians 7:10-16
17. THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the
wicked and that only those joined by faith in Jesus Christ and sanctified in Him are
righteous in His eyes. All those who continue to reject God and remain in unbelief are in
God’s eyes wicked. This distinction is held true, both in life and after death, with the
righteous having everlasting life, and the wicked everlasting punishment.
Malachi 3:18
Romans 1:17
I John 5:19
Luke 16:25
18. THE FUTURE
We believe that the end is approaching; that Christ will rapture His church, there will be a
great time of tribulation, and Christ will return to reign for 1000 years on the earth; after
which the lost shall be cast into eternal punishment and the redeemed shall be with the
Lord forever.
Acts 1:11
Matthew 24:31-46
Acts 24:15
1 Corinthians 15:15-58
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
MISSION STATEMENT
We exist to:
Preach the Hope of Christ, Teach the Truths of Christ, and Reach the World for Christ.